In response to several months of exceptionally high and volatile energy prices, the Commission sets out on 18th May a series of additional short-term measures to tackle high energy prices and address possible supply disruptions from Russia. It also presents a number of areas where the electricity market design can be optimsied, making it fit […]
Speech by Von der Leyen at the European Hydrogen Energy Conference 2022
Your Majesty, Vice Prime Minister Ribera, Dear friends of the Spanish Hydrogen Association and Hydrogen Europe, Distinguished guests, For years, science has been telling us that we must end our reliance on fossil fuels to save our planet. Now the Kremlin’s attack on Ukraine has given us yet another reason. That is to secure […]
Climate change: MEPs push for accelerated EU action and energy independence
Emissions Trading System reform: free allowances for industries phased out more quickly and citizens included later in ETS II Broader scope and faster implementation in new carbon leakage instrument Stricter trajectory, more transparency and less flexibility for member states’ greenhouse gas emissions in other sectors New EU carbon sinks goal will increase EU 2030 reduction […]
New rules for cross-border energy infrastructure
The Council adopted today a revised Trans-European Networks for Energy (TEN-E) Regulation. The new rules aim to modernise, decarbonise and interconnect member states’ cross-border energy infrastructures in order to help the EU achieve its 2050 climate neutrality objectives. The revised regulation also aims to continue ensuring market integration, competitiveness and security of supply. The adoption […]
Key energy saving actions
The International Energy Agency (IEA) and the European Commission outlined on 21 April 2022 a range of simple steps that citizens can take to reduce their energy use and save money, and that would save enough oil to fill 120 super tankers and enough natural gas to heat almost 20 million homes if adopted by […]
Energy Council: securing energy supply for all member states
Ministers exchanged views on the energy situation in the EU in the context of the war in Ukraine. This extraordinary Council was an opportunity for the ministers to recall their solidarity with Ukraine and with the member states affected by the suspension of gas deliveries by Gazprom, which was implemented despite the current contracts. Energy […]
EIC Accelerator Challenge: Technologies for ‘Fit for 55’
Scope This EIC Accelerator Challenge aims at supporting the development and scaling up of technologies and boosting breakthrough innovations that strengthen the green transition. Breakthrough innovations for this Challenge should have the potential to create significant economic, competitiveness and employment benefits for Europe. This Challenge targets ground-breaking innovations in any field of technology that have […]
EU’s need for natural gas imports reduced to 83% by 2021
In 2021, the EU’s natural gas import dependency rate was 83%. This is 1 percentage point (pp) less than 2020 (84%). This small decrease in import dependency was significantly influenced by the fact that most EU Member States used stocks of natural gas that were imported in previous years. In fact, the drop in natural gas stocks in 2021 was […]
EU will import 58% of its energy by 2020
By 2020, 58% of the energy consumed in the EU will be imported, while its own production will cover only 42% of demand. The EU’s energy mix by 2020 will consist of 35% oil and oil derivatives, 24% natural gas, 17% renewables, 13% nuclear energy and 11% solid fossil fuels. Russia is the main supplier […]